Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman marked the 100th anniversary of Babe Ruth's unique baseball catch, thrown from an airplane, at a ceremony held at Mitchel Field on Long Island. Blakeman, also the Republican candidate for governor, highlighted the event as a significant part of New York's "rich history."
The ceremony, attended by children and baseball enthusiasts, featured a flyover by the Nassau County Police Department helicopter and a screening of footage from the original 1926 stunt. Blakeman placed a commemorative plaque at the site where the historic catch occurred.
"We are very proud of our rich history of aviation. They call this the Cradle of Aviation because so many great aviators, right here at Mitchel Field, trained here and operated here," Blakeman stated at the event. He also acknowledged Ruth's legendary status in baseball, calling him "a World Series champion, he was an MVP, and he was a great pitcher, as well as one of the greatest hitters, in the history of baseball."
Former Yankees player Andy Pettitte offered his regards via a recorded video, expressing that it was "an honor to remember an amazing movement in baseball history" and wishing he could have witnessed the event firsthand. "Here's to the enduring legacy [of] The Babe," Pettitte added.
Babe Ruth made history on July 22, 1926, by becoming the first person to successfully catch a baseball dropped from an airplane. The ball was released from an altitude of 300 feet while the aircraft flew at approximately 100 mph. The stunt was originally organized to promote interest in military aviation.
During the recent event, children had the opportunity to recreate "The Catch" themselves, with balls dropped from a fire truck ladder.